Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-10-17
UrAH'S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH.
Nearly One Thousand People over
seventy Years of AGe-One Hundred
and twenty Who Are Past Eig Hty

-
dom are its Old peoples saws n Salt Lake
letter to The 81. L0uiS Globe DentOcrHt.
1t is an absolute pleasure to look upon
them. Dozens of men in their eighties
may BE- seen on the streets every day.
Hale and hearty fellows they are. with
gray boards and broad shoulders. and
they do not appear to be over 30.
Some of them are Mormon bishops;
nearly all are elders, and not few are
poly gamists. Look at the late John
TAYLOR. who was fOur-score, and he
had seven wives. Examine the re-
cords of the Utah penitentiary. and
there will be found many men in the
sixties who served, or are now serv-
ing, six months terms for unlawful
cOhabitation. Lorenzo Snow. who is
in his seventy-seventh year, was in the
'pen' for nine months, and might
have been there longer had not the
United States supreme court come to
his relief and helped him out. In the
tabernacle on Sunday afternoon hun
dreds of white heads aud faces sancti-
fed by age greet the eyes, and there
seems to be 4 great deal of truth in
what Eliza r. Snow said to me the
other day. when reference was made to
her great age: ave Mormons believe
it is our duty to live past 20" Miss"
Snow is S3. but as quick-witted and as
active on her feet as many a woman Of
less than 50. She throws off poem
occasionally, and writes book when
ever the notion takes her. But Is l
have already written about Miss
Snow in a previous letter, will pass
her by with this mention. Many OF
the undergrounders who have been
eyading the officers of the law for
several years past are either octogenar-
ians or far advanced septuagenarians.
They are every bit as spry as the
younger fellows in keeping out of the
way of the authorities. Most of these
old folks belong to the pioneer days
and came to Salt Lake valley when
there was nothing here but sage brush
and alkali plains. Some of them have
footed it six or seven times across what
was then the great American desert to
the Missouri river, and | believe that il
there was a revelation announced to-
night calling on all the 20 and 80 year
olds in Utah to mount shank's mare
and start for Omaha in the old prim-
tive way, there would not he solitary
saint or sinner among them who would
plead age or hesitate about going
The majority have been and still are in
sense agriculturists. They have
found Ponce de Icons fountain ot
youth in the scent of the clover fields
and the breaths of snow that blow
from the Wasatch mountains. They
have led temperate, frugal lives. and
the sap and strength of the soil have
grown into their structure and systems
1t would do anybody good to look a
them. And Utah is proud of them
so proud that she gives them the very
best care and awards them the same
generous attention that petted children
always receive.
There are many pretty ideas in the
Mormon system of religion, and one
of the prettiest I think is the glorious
need of admiration for which the old
folks come in. In addition to the care
and attention bestowed upon them in
the way of providing for their regular
wants, one day each year is set apar
for them, and it is called Old Folks
day. The late Edward Hunter. who
was the presiding bishop of the Mormon
church from 1850 to 1888. and VIII,
himself died in the latter year at tn
advanced age of 80, conceived the plar
of giving every man and woman owe
40 years of age. in the neighborhood o
Salt Lake City. days outing eacl
year. He instituted Old Folks day il
1875, and it has been a success eve
since. The idea has been adopted il
other parts of the territory. and latel,
some enthusiast has done vigorous
writing in behalf of establishing ,
national old folk day. when the cite
of the nation can trot out their 70-year
olds and let them have tile fun
Here they have their recreation ever.
22d of June, which was Bishop Hunt
er's birthday. The last time they wen
to Ogden and spent six or seven hour
in its public park. with music, dancing
refreshments, and. all The concomitant
of picnic added to the railroad rid
which they got. There were about IS
of the excursionists over 20 years o
age, and these $50 went from Salt LAX
City and its immediate vicinity. Jus
think of it $50 out of $4,000 peopl
were upward of 20 years old. One
every forty CT the population had reacl
ed the three-score-a and ten limit spoke
of in the crptures. II 60-year-old
had been accepted the whole Denv'
and Rio Grande rolling-stock coul
scarcely have accommodated the multi
tude. suppose about one in ever
twenty is over so. As far as humanit
is concerp~ snere seemed to be on
babies and gtay-heads in Utah. Ce
tainly there is a multitude of botl
Those who were 20 years old and undt
90 unra red rnseiteS ON their De